If one is going both up and downhill on a ride, which is almost always the case, pushing a high gear when going downhill is mostly just wasteful, especially if you do not have very low gears for the uphill. Whatever energy you use on the downhill will primarily go to overcoming wind resistance, while going uphill it almost all goes into helping you get up the hill. In any case if you spin out going downhill you should be tucked down and coasting anyway. Finally, a 3 tooth jump is neither large nor difficult, and as it's for your lowest gear it is not encountered very often.